


don't dream it's over

by amyelouise



Category: The X-Files RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gillovny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-10-21 03:11:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10676478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amyelouise/pseuds/amyelouise
Summary: This work is purely fiction.Enjoy! X





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This work is purely fiction.  
> Enjoy! X

_**OCTOBER, 1987** _

The shrill sound of the alarm blaring caught her off guard, forcing her cigarette smoke to travel further down her throat than expected, and she held on to the side of her desk as she coughed loudly. 

"Shit." She coughed once more and quickly threw her cigarette out the window, and stumbled over to her drawer where she whipped out a can of deodorant and sprayed it liberally around the room. She closed the window in a rush and could already hear the clamour of students filing down the halls, the low murmur of disappointment and anger of being woken up cutting through her anxiety like a sharp knife. She looked down at her pyjamas and figured it'd take too long to change into anything else, so she wrapped herself in her big black coat and slipped on some sandals that were left haphazardly next to her bed. 

It was only once she'd slunk through the halls and down the stairs that she realised it was pouring down with rain. Heavy rain that soaked anything it touched in a matter of seconds. And she was wearing sandals. Brilliant. 

She huddled into a group of disgruntled students as they all debated whether it was a drill or a prank and discussed in high detail just what they would do to the person who set it off. Her cheeks coloured and she shuffled away slightly, staring at her soaked bare toes, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole. She'd smoked undetected a hundred times in her dorm, much to the chagrin of her roommate, and she knew there'd be a hearty fine if she was caught in the act, or even a possibility she'd be evicted. Her parents were going to kill her.

"You stink of smoke." It was a whisper against her ear and she shivered not from the cold, but the feel of his breath against her skin. She turned to find a man standing beside her, with kind eyes but a wicked smile playing on his full lips. Her eyes widened with shock and she took a quick glance around at her fellow students, hoping no one had caught his quiet declaration, or caught a whiff of the smoke that was undoubtedly staining her hair and clothes. He laughed slightly and caught her arm, dragging her further and further away from the group, and she went half-willingly, her anger beginning to rise as the stranger took more and more liberties.

"Here, use some of this, but be inconspicuous." She didn't know what that word meant and she cringed, the stranger before her at least five years her senior and much too old to be hanging around the freshman dorms. He took the backpack he had slung across his shoulders and brought it to his chest, fishing out a small can of deodorant and passing it to her. "You'll smell of boys but they can't fine you for that." He winked at her and she softened slightly, now only annoyed at how his natural charm was throwing her natural hate for chauvinistic men off balance. 

"Thanks," she mumbled as she ducked her chin and quickly sprayed her clothes in short bursts with the deodorant. He was right, now she smelled like she'd been living in the men's locker room of the campus gym. 

"No problem." He took the can from her and stuffed it back into his bag, slinging it back over his shoulder. "Hard night?" Her gaze snapped to his immediately, taken off guard by his caring tone and she let her eyes settle somewhere on his chest as she quickly nodded. Her fingers began to shake from the cold and to her surprise he quickly grabbed them and held them in his palms, his expression a question. _Is this okay? Can I do this?_

She smiled and shook her head at the ridiculousness of it all but stepped closer to him regardless. She couldn't tell at all why this man would be interested in her, unless he was only taking pity. Her mind raced through all the options: a member of the Christian Union helping out those in need, a functionable drunk who was too touchy, a charming serial killer finding his newest victim or... or a beautiful stranger trying to do his best to flirt. She hadn't looked in the mirror before she left, but she knew her hair was still recovering from the four day hair dye bender she'd been on, and her face was void of makeup. Hardly anything special enough to attract the attention of the latter. 

"Gillian Anderson?" She snapped her head up towards the RA who was standing before the large group, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. This was her fate, she supposed. Being chastised in front of a hundred angry students, and probably being kicked out of college. She approached the RA slowly even as they called out her name a second time, and took a quick glance behind her to the man she didn't know, who looked more bemused than anything else.

"Yeah?" The RA turned to her, slightly surprised, and appraised the girl before her. 

"You're Gillian Anderson?" She nodded and the RA smiled, scribbling something down on her clipboard. "Lela Ansell?" 

Fuck. Roll call. Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment and a few students sniggered, leaving her to sulk back into the crowd where her newest friend waited with a smug expression and an outstretched arm with a packet of lifesavers mints being offered.

"David. David Duchovny." She took a mint from him and popped it in her mouth, immediately sucking it into the soft pillow of her inner cheek and tracing the ring with the tip of her tongue. He held out his hand for her to shake and she obliged, stiffening slightly as she felt his fingertips graze her palm. "Quit worrying kiddo, I heard them say earlier it was a drill." She let out a sigh of relief and delved into the pockets of her coat, bringing out a packet of cigarettes with shaky hands. The second the filter touched her lips, he'd whipped it out again, and she watched bemused as he tucked the stolen cigarette behind his ear. "Just because you know that, doesn't mean they do." 

He bent down to her height and she followed his gaze to the group of students who were standing, arms folded and faces miserable, just a few short paces away. She thought briefly about snatching the cigarette back from him, defying his quiet advice, but for once she relented, dropping the nearly empty packet back into her coat pocket and letting out a shuddery breath. 

"Thanks." She was quiet all of a sudden and he noticed the change instantly, stretching back up to his full height, out of her personal boundaries. "For the spray and mints." His arm brushed against hers as he shifted his weight off his feet, and she noticed for the first time that his hair was beginning to plaster itself to his face, his generous cowlick stuck against his forehead. "Are you a freshman?" He chuckled and her cheeks grew red with embarrassment. 

"I'm doing my Master's Degree. It's quicker to walk through campus to get to my place than it is to walk around the streets." She nodded even though it still didn't answer her unspoken question of why he was talking to her in the first place. 

"How come you're out this early in the morning?" He wiped his hair away from his brow and squinted up at the moon, which was already nearing the west. He chuckled again and poked her arm with his pointer finger.

"That's a story for another time." He bent down slightly and she closed her eyes, half expecting the gentle brush of his plump lips against her cheek, but instead she felt his hand dip into her pocket and he brought out her lighter, the personalised one Greg had given her. He took a few steps back and cupped his hand around his cigarette which was now balanced precariously between his lips, and with one gracious flick, he'd managed to light it, despite the awful weather. "Goodnight Gillian Anderson." He threw the lighter towards her and she caught it in one hand, slipping it back into her pocket, and as she glanced back up towards him, he was gone, the only trace of him the faint smell cigarette smoke in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little out of my comfort zone, so please let me know in the comments below or at curiouscat.me/gilliananderson if you have any improvements for me :-)
> 
> Enjoy and thanks for reading!


	2. I

He sulked into the library a little after eleven in the morning, his hair flopping over his eyes as he huddled over a book in extreme concentration, and she watched with fascination as he scribbled down quick notes, glancing quickly back and forth between his textbook and his notepad. In the light, she could truly appreciate his form: chiselled jawline with a sprinkle of stubble; focused, soulful eyes; full, wet lips worried between perfectly white teeth; and a nose that was too large, but not unsightly - in fact - she couldn't imagine it being more perfect for him.

He flicked through the pages of his textbook with a determination she was definitely not feeling for her own work, and as he used his finger to trace his eye's progress through the paragraphs, she looked down to her own open book, figuring she'd earned herself at least a small break from her studies. She closed her heavy book with a soft thud and gathered her belongings, throwing a few items haphazardly into her backpack and cradling her doodle-filled notebook to her chest as she stood up from her place and made her way over to the other side of the library, next to the man with his too-large nose quite literally stuck in a book. 

She anxiously tucked a strand of her now mousy brown hair behind her ear and licked her lips quickly as she neared his table. A few students followed her journey with their gaze and a couple of senior girls with big chests smirked and whispered to each other. She hugged her notebook even tighter to her own average sized breasts in embarrassment. At least this time round she'd had a chance to cover up some of the dark circles beneath her eyes, and she hoped her eyelashes were still curled from the coat of mascara she'd lathered on in the girl's bathrooms earlier. 

She sat down on the empty seat next to him, the corner of the table in between them, and she placed her notebook down carefully, watching nervously as his eyes didn't stray from his textbook, even at her arrival. She chanced a glance up at the older students and watched as they sniggered at her, covering their mouths with their hands as they taunted her. She quickly snapped her gaze back to the man beside her, his bottom lip caught between his teeth as he scribbled something down with a pencil in the margin of the textbook. 

"I'm pretty sure that's classed as damaging public property." She whispered, as to not gather the attention of any more of the surrounding students, and mentally chastised herself for sounding so feeble. 

"I've never been one for following the rules." She watched as a smirk played across his lips, and as he finished his quick note, he finally looked up at her, a wide smile plastered on his tanned face, and she felt the startings of a smile grow on her lips. "Hello Gillian Anderson, long time no see." She ducked her head to hide the blush that spread across her alabaster cheeks, and her eyes darted over to the girls from earlier, who were now sitting quietly, unamused and stoic. She allowed herself to straighten her back with pride as she looked over at David, who was still smiling with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Have you come to distract me kiddo?"

"I'd never do anything of the sort! How could I ever take you away from..." She peeked at his open textbook, and as she leaned over, she could feel his breath lightly against her neck, making her blanche. "...E.E. Cummings?" 

"Only a true cruel woman would take a man away from Cummings." He whispered it in her ear and she laughed loudly, quickly covering her mouth with her palm as she received a dirty stare from the students beside her and an angry 'shush' from across the room. His gaze returned back to his book as if he was rereading something of importance, but she couldn't make out from his eyes what had gained his attention. "Bit of a tough crowd, huh?" She nodded as he picked up his pencil again and began to scribble down yet another intelligible note. "Want to go to The Quad?" He still hadn't looked up at her, and she allowed herself to grin widely unbeknownst to him.

"You do owe me a cigarette." He fit his pencil behind his ear and slapped his book closed.

"And you owe me a mint." He stood up and she quickly followed, taking a quick glance around at the library as he picked up his book by its spine in a gesture that contradicted his obvious love for literature. He smiled regardless and cocked his head in the direction of the library doors, waiting until she was a few strides ahead of him before he meekly followed, placing one hand lightly at the bottom of her spine, but not too low to be deemed inappropriate. She looked behind her quickly at the girls whose jaws were now slack with shock, and gave them a sly middle finger, smiling up at David in reply to his questioning expression. 

"I was just saying goodbye," she eventually said, earning a hearty laugh from him as he stayed behind to hold the door open for her. "Who knew a thief could be such a gentleman?" 

"Talking of thieves, where's my mint?" She ducked her head underneath his outstretched arm as he leaned against the door frame and sighed as she felt the cool winter air hit her cheeks. The sun was still shining but there was no real warmth, and she shuddered slightly, pulling her coat tighter across her thin _Led Zeppelin_ t-shirt. 

"I don't have any. Plus, you offered me a mint, therefore I didn't steal it." She raised her chin up a little higher and he laughed as he navigated them through the park towards the singular empty bench. He brought his packet of cigarettes out of his pocket and passed them over to her, watching as she picked one out with long, black-varnished fingernails and placed it between her lips before handing the pack back.

"What kind of smoker doesn't carry around mints?" He grabbed one too and lit it up with a quick flick of his fingers against his zappo, and she gave him a quick round of applause as he stopped mid-stride and took a quick bow.

"The kind that doesn't care about the smell." She fished out her own lighter after politely refusing to use his, and thumbed the spark wheel.

"Must be why you don't have any friends." She could tell he was joking, but his statement hit a nerve and a wave of anxiety flooded through her system, causing her stomach to constrict and her cheeks to burn. Her lighter sparked to life as she lit up her cigarette, and she took a long drag, shrugging her shoulders for David's benefit even as her mind began to blur with the speed of her damaging thoughts. They reached the bench and claimed the whole table by spreading their bags out across the spare seats. 

"You'll have to teach me how to do that one day." He lifted his eyebrows in confusion and she nodded towards the lighter still in his hands. "Y'know, snapping your fingers and getting it to light." He hummed in reply and slipped his lighter back into his coat pocket. The silence between them was awkward as they both took drags of their cigarettes. Every now and then her gaze would flit from her surroundings to the man sitting opposite her, only to find his eyes trained only on her. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but changed his mind and leaned forward to grab the notebook she'd been shielding around her chest.

"What are you studying?" He opened the front cover and she moved her body forward as if to stop him, but the protest died on her lips as he browsed the doodled title page. "No wait, let me guess." He pursed his lips and dragged a finger down the cursive letters of her name, as the front page loudly and proudly dictated that this was _Gillian's Notebook_. "Something arty..." He looked down at the small shaky doodles decorating the page and smirked. "But not art." He lifted the corner of the page and she reached over to hold down his wrist, a playful glint in her eye.

"You can't do that, it'd be cheating." Her fingers were still softly holding his wrist, and he let the edge of the paper fall from his grasp as he looked up at her, her small frame somehow managing to reach across the whole table so that their faces were mere inches apart. 

"You're asking me to guess what major you're taking just by looking at this page?" She nodded and squeezed his wrist, feeling the subtle press of the pads of his fingers against her own pulse point. He raised his eyebrows and looked down at the paper, studying it as if it were the answers for one of his midterms. Satisfied he wouldn't turn the page, she gently let go of his wrist and sat back down across from him with her arms folded. His finger moved across the paper once more and she wondered if it was something he subconsciously did, just like the way he bit his bottom lip when he was concentrating. A small grin spread across his lips as he reached the bottom of the page, and he looked back up to her and then down to the paper, seemingly coming to a conclusion. He straightened his back and pushed the notebook back to her, leaving the cover open. "You're with the theatre school."

"What makes you think that?" It was his turn to lean across the table, and she watched as his long finger traced the small doodle that went across the bottom of the page.

"Anyone who doodles _A Streetcar Named Desire_ across the front page of their notebook is definitely not here to do anything other than theatre." She looked down at the drawing of a streetcar and her finger joined his as she followed the small scrawl of _Desire_ printed on the carriage's side. "So, did I get it right?" She nodded and he smiled proudly, moving his pointer finger to poke at her slightly aquiline nose.

"You're an open book kiddo." She ducked her chin away from him, and for a split second he wondered if maybe he'd taken it too far. He'd always been assertive with women, pushing their boundaries, relying on his natural charm to save them from feeling uncomfortable, but he'd seen her reaction when he last made a glib comment, and didn't want to upset her further. She smiled shyly and poked at his larger nose.

"And you're a nosey fucker." He laughed and sat back down, watching as she closed her notebook and pushed it away from both of them, signalling the end of his exploring - for now at least. "You're probably studying English Literature, am I correct?" 

"You are indeed." He took one last drag of his cigarette and threw it on the ground, stubbing it out, yet he reached down to pick the crushed stub up and place it on the table. She gave him a confused look and took her last drag, grinding the cigarette with her heel. "Just because it's a dirty habit doesn't mean we should dirty our surroundings." She refrained from making a comment about the smoke polluting the air and diligently picked up her squashed cigarette and placed it next to his. "You didn't have to... I mean... Just because I like to do it doesn't mean I expect everyone else to." She gave him a small smile.

"It's a good ethos, though." He rummaged around in his backpack for a second and brought out a tupperware box with his lunch inside it. "Did you study here for your undergraduate?" What she means to say is: _How come I've never seen you around here before now?_ She'd only been a student for just over a month but somehow she knew her eyes would have sought him out in the crowds. He held up one half of a sandwich to her and opened his packet of crisps to lie between them.

"PB&J sound good?" She nodded and took the offered lunch with greedy hands, taking a bite before searching for her own lunch. She placed the pot of pasta in front of him and opened it, spearing her fork into the middle.

"Tomato and basil. There's only one fork though." He nodded gratefully and took a forkful of pasta noodles, guiding them towards his mouth. 

"It's alright, we can share." He wiggled his eyebrows at her as his lips closed around the fork, and her eyes fluttered as she came to the sudden realisation that something she was about to put in _her_ mouth had also been in _his_ mouth. "Hm this is good." He took a few more bites and then passed her the fork, taking a large chunk out of his sandwich. "Er, no, I was at Princeton actually. I went through a phase where i didn't want to do my masters, and by the time I decided, the university I wanted to go to wouldn't take me. DePaul were willing to give me late entry."

"Which college were you supposed to be studying at?" She took another bite of her sandwich and almost drooled. Damn, the man knew how to make a good PB&J. 

"Yale." She winced and he nodded enthusiastically. "I'm glad I came here though. I've made some interesting friends, done some good things. I'm hoping to apply back to Yale next year and get in on their Doctorate program, if they'll let me."

"You must really love English Literature." She smirked and tried not to blush as she picked up his used fork to gather her own bites of pasta. 

"You must really love acting, to want to come to a college and train for it. Are you hoping to make it a full time thing?" She let the fork slide past her lips and handed it back over to him, licking off a bit of jam that had fallen onto her wrist. 

"I'd love to become a full time actress. I know the realities, but I'm willing to put in the hard work to get there. Everyone practices their oscar speech in the bathroom mirror but not everyone has the guts to go get one." 

"Are you any good?"

"I don't know. You'll have to come to one of my performances and tell me." She took the fork straight from his mouth this time and he growled at her, reaching for the pasta dish and bringing it towards him. "Hey! Gimme that back!" She reached across the table to grab the edge of the tupperware but he lifted the pasta up high, out of reach, and she grunted as he had a victorious smile on his face. "Right! That's it!" She pulled herself up onto the bench and stood on the rickety wood, finding her balance, as he held the pasta up high. 

The moments following her swift lunge for the food blurred like hours but in reality lasted mere seconds. All she registered was the deafening sound of the rotten wood snapping beneath her and the feeling of momentary weightlessness before gravity pulled her down to the ground. His arms reached for her as her foot dropped through the bench, and the pasta spilled across the grass as he let go of the bowl, priorities shifting. She screamed slightly but his hand around her waist stopped her fall being too damaging.

She stood with one foot on the ground, one bent up on the bench, completely and utterly stuck. She pouted slightly as if she were holding back tears and David shot up, fingers squeezing her waist as his hand came to cup her cheek. 

"Are you okay kiddo?" She nodded against his hand and he crouched down to inspect her leg that was below the bench. He pulled her jean leg up and let his fingers softly play over the red, scraped skin around her ankle. 

"I'm fine." She winced as he accidentally brushed against a cut, but put on a brace face nonetheless. She felt him roll her jeans back down and squeezed her fingers together into tight fists just as people began to stop in their tracks to stare. 

"Now this is what I call damaging public property!" He straightened up and beamed at her, eliciting a small smile from her pursed lips. "Hold on, I've got my Polaroid in here somewhere. I have to take a picture of this."

"David... C'mon people are starting to stare." She could feel her cheeks burning as her eyes darted to the group of students standing and watching, hands covering their mouths as they giggled.

"You're an actress! You should be used to people staring at you! Now, smile!" She tried her best to look as unfazed as possible by the whole situation as the camera flashed, even as her knee began to ache and her hands shake with anxiety, but there was a furrow in her brow that she couldn't quite lose. He held the camera back up to his face ready for another picture, finger poised on the shutter button.

"David, please, help me out."

"Just one more picture." She met his eyes as he peeked at her over the eyepiece for the camera and quickly he scanned her surroundings, realising just how many people had stopped to observe the spectacle, rather than just taking a glance and carrying on with their day as he had imagined. "Shit, sorry." Her bottom lip began to waver and she cursed as she felt a tear slip down her cheek just as his hands came around her waist and began to pull. It was a little awkward, but not impossible due to his height. "Hey, it's alright, I got you okay?" 

Her arms wrapped around his neck as he carefully pulled her out of the hole, and once her legs were free, she protested slightly and he placed her gently on the ground, still keeping a hand on her waist as she steadied herself.

"Does it hurt a lot?" He moved the hand on her waist to her back and smoothed it up and down her spine, shielding her face from those standing on the nearby path. She shook her head and dried the last of her tears on the back of her hand, looking awkwardly at his chest before turning away. "Hey... don't let those assholes get to you. It was nothing personal, they would have stated whoever it was." He could see her nodding even though her back was still turned towards him. "C'mon kiddo, let's get you outta here, can you walk?"

She turned towards him, testing her weight on her foot and pulling a strained face as her ankle moved. 

"Um, gimme a few minutes? What time is it?" He looked down at his watch, noting with dismay that he had class in ten minutes and had to start walking soon. 

"Ten to one." 

"Shit, I have class now. I'm going to be late." He quickly packed up their lunch, looking at her regretfully as he closed the lid on her pasta box, now sans pasta, and stuffed it into her bag. He handed her backpack to her to sling over her shoulders as he popped his books into his bag. He passed her a bottle of water from inside his bag as he walked towards her, debris cleared, and she smiled gratefully. "Thanks." 

"Where's your class?"

"It's at the theatre school. Don't worry, I can make it there, it's not too far." He let her hobble a couple of steps forward and he smiled, hands crossed at his chest, as he watched her deviant struggle. "You walking with me for a bit?" She turned around to him and took a chug of his water, screwing the cap back on tightly and offering it back to him. They stood side by side, the crowds diminishing, as he tucked his water bottle back into his bag. She limped onto the path and waited for him again, a determined look in her eye, even if her foot was slightly bent off the ground to relieve pressure. 

"You're incorrigible, y'know that kiddo?" With that he swerved in front of her and squatted, moving his hands to the backs of her thighs and lifting her up onto his back.

"David, put me down!" He grinned back at her and jostled her in his arms, climbing her further up his back until her legs automatically wrapped around his front and her hands clung to his shoulders for support. "You're gonna make people stare at us again."

"That's the plan." She batted his shoulder once and gripped his skin between her fingers, holding on so tight he knew he'd have a red mark there later. 

"David, _please_." She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder to avoid the looks from the students walking beside them. 

"Y'know, I'm sure a few of these students will go back to their homes and bitch about how they saw a freshman getting a piggyback to class, and you know why they'll do that?" She shook her head against his skin and he smiled. "Because their lives are so boring and no one will give _them_ a piggyback to class." She laughed lightly into the collar of his t-shirt, and his smile widened at the sound. "Do you trust me?" 

She moved her hands so that they were draped leisurely down his chest, her chin resting on his shoulder, and she sighed, letting her body relax. 

"Yes, I do, against my better nature." He looked back at her to grin this time, even as they carried on walking down the path out of The Quad. 

"Well, you're probably going to come across a crossroads like this at some point in your acting career, no matter how good you are. Whether it's messing up a line on stage, or being told you're not good enough or pretty enough for a role, or thinking you did awful at an audition... At some point or other, you're gonna feel exactly the same way as you do now, humiliated, but if you let it consume you, you'll never progress in life. You say you've got the guts to get to the Oscars. If so, you got to have the guts to get right back up after you've fallen, and brush it off, no matter how many people are staring."

She swayed her feet next to his thighs and watched the trees decorating the grounds become sparser and sparser until they reached the exit.

"You gotta learn to bask in the limelight whilst you got it, kiddo. You gotta have fun with it, because if you're happy, you won't give a shit what other people think." She mulled over his words as they reached a red light, and she looked to her sides, making awkward eye contact with the few students standing next to them. "You ready?"

"For what?" 

"To have some fun." He waggled his eyebrows at her, and as the light turned to amber before them, he stretched down lower as if he were in the starting position for a 100m sprint.

"David..." The light flashed green and he bolted off the sidewalk, causing her to cling on tighter to his neck as she screamed playfully. "You're gonna break something!" If he heard her, he didn't respond, and only carried on running through the crowds of Chicago, dodging women with pushchairs or slow students dreading their next class.

"Lighten up kiddo!" She laughed in his ear and straightened her back slightly, doing exactly what he told her to do - bask in the limelight. His bag began to slip off his shoulder so she caught it, slinging it over her own, and she pressed herself more fully into his back, watching the buildings fly past as she rode on his back. "How's the weather up there?" 

"Just fine! It makes a nice change." She let the wind blow her hair from her face as her fingers carefully threaded through his hair, stroking him slightly. She could hear his breaths become ragged and his strides shorten as his stamina began to disintegrate, and as they reached the corner opposite her building, he abruptly stopped, laughing in between heaving breaths. She joined in, not caring who watched, who stared, who tutted, and she smiled warmly at him as he slid her down carefully off his back. 

"Two minutes to one, you better get in there, kiddo." She tested her leg down on the ground and smiled as his arm went out to steady her, even though she wasn't feeling the pain she was before, just a dull soreness from the grazes under her jeans. She began to pull away towards the crossing when his gentle hand on her arm stopped her. "There's this Halloween party this weekend... my fraternity are hosting it. It would be good to see you there." He delved in his bag and reached out a flyer printed on neon orange paper, handing it to her shyly.

"Yeah... I'll think about it." She offered him a warm smile to let him know she meant it. Parties weren't her usual scene, but this was the first time she'd been formally invited to one by anyone other than her roommate in a last ditch attempt to get her to socialise like a normal student. "See you around, Double D." 

She walked backwards, her limp non-existent, as she waved to him crossing the road.

"Hey! I like that nickname!" He cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed it across the street. She stopped and turned in the middle of the crossing and mimicked him.

"When you get your Doctorate, I'll change it to Triple!" He laughed and she turned back to the theatre school, dissolving into a crowd of dyed hair, painted nails, I-hate-my-life-and-you-too theatre students, all headed for class last minute. He smiled after her, watching the crowd make it's way into the building, and didn't turn around until the front doors had finally shut. He looked down to his watch and cursed under his breath.

" _Fuck._ " 13:06PM. He was going to be late for class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little out of my comfort zone so let me know if there's any way I can improve either in the comments or over at curiouscat.me/gilliananderson!
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! X


	3. II

She'd heard _Thriller_ repeat twice when she finally found him at the party, leant up against a far wall, dressed as Indiana Jones. Of course he'd dress up as Indiana Jones. She could see the iconic roughed leather jacket pooled at his feet, and he'd taken the liberty to unbutton just a few more shirt buttons than necessary, giving her a perfect view of his right pectorals and muscular, bare arms. She adjusted the hem of her skirt and shuffled her feet.

She'd been stuck for days on what she could wear to the party. Her Halloween parties at high school consisted of her and her six other punk friends, listening to music that threatened to fight the world in someone's garage, high on a cornucopia of drugs. No, this time it would be different. This time _he_ would be there. Her wardrobe seemed so unappealing as she fought through the black sea of clothing to find something, anything, that would be appropriate. 

Inspiration struck as she was half bent out her window with a fresh cigarette stuck between her lips. She gaped playfully like a fish over at her roommate who was sitting on her bed, twisting their phone cord around her finger as she chatted away to an unnamed boy. Rachel let a giggle escape as the cigarette stuck to Gillian's lips and it bobbed helplessly for a few seconds before she caught it with her deft fingers. Her eyes widened with realisation and she all but jumped off the windowsill and delved into her drawers, pulling out a black and white pinstripe skirt and a dark blue t-shirt. The skirt was a little short on her, riding up to her mid thigh, but Rachel advised her over her phone call that it sent _exactly_ the right signals, and she was inclined to agree.

She was beginning to regret this decision as she adjusted the waistband on her skirt, peeling it away from her skin slightly to breathe better. She watched the way his tongue came out to wet his bottom lip as if it were in slow motion, and the breath hitched in her throat as his lips puckered around the rim of his alcohol filled red cup. 

_Alcohol._

That was something she knew she needed, just to take the edge off. She bartered scenarios off in her head. _If I don't have a drink, I can ask him to walk to the bar with me to get a drink, but if I don't drink something right now, I think I'll pass out._ In the end, pure instinct won out, and she made her way over to the punch bowl in the kitchen on unsteady legs. She tried her hardest not to smudge her lipstick on the rim of the cup as she took a sip and grimaced. 

Her make-up was really the pièce de résistance of the entire costume. Her eyes were decorated by delicate cat eye wings and a light smattering of eyeshadow, whereas her forehead was smudged with dirty marks and red lipstick, mimicking blood dripping down the hollow of her cheeks. She took one last gulp of her drink and then ditched the rest, figuring she could always ask David to walk her back.

She walked back to the front room and stopped dead. Indiana Jones was talking to Barbarella, and judging by the way his eyes couldn't move from her exaggerated chest, he was enjoying it too. She watched, sickened, as Barbarella put her hand on his chest as she laughed, her fingers lightly playing against his exposed chest, and she turned away, taking a few steps backward to hide in the opposite corner. 

She wished she hadn't ditched her drink, anxious for something to sip at, to cloud her mind and make breathing a little easier. A small part of her mind screamed at her to walk over, shove Barbarella out of the way and claim what she hoped what as already hers. But then the doubts would flood her mind as she'd watch his eyes drift down to her cleavage, and she'd remind herself that he never looked at _her_ that way. 

"You look like you could use a drink." She startled as the voice shook her from her thoughts. "I'm Adrian." She guessed he was dressed as a vampire with his long cloak and red trickling down his chin, but it looked as if he'd dumped his fangs a while ago. 

"Gillian." She looked over at David, Barbarella still hanging on his every word, her hand still brushing against his chest, and took a deep breath. "Yeah, a drink would be great thanks." He nodded and started walking, checking every few seconds to make sure she was still behind him. Even in her heels, she didn't come up to the shoulders of most of the people at this party. 

"Punch?" She smiled and gave him a quick nod, leaning against a counter until he'd poured her a cup and passed it to her. "It's quite strong." She took a long gulp and passed him back the cup, nodding for him to refill it. He shook his head from side to side and chuckled. "Freshman mistake."

"How could you tell?" He put a hand on her arm as he guided them back to their spot, and he rested leisurely against the door frame, blocking most of her view of the indecent love fest that was occurring opposite them, much to her chagrin. 

"Oh, you have that deer in the headlights look." She sipped at her drink and felt the alcohol begin to buzz through her system, as she tucked an unruly strand of her frizzed hair behind her ear. He wasn't wrong - it was very strong.

"Are you part of the fraternity?" He laughed and shook his head. 

"What, and hang with these losers?" He pointed his thumb back at David and his friends, and she took the opportunity to peek over Adrian's shoulder to watch Barbarella slide her hand around David's waist. "A football player like me wouldn't be seen dead with Tau Epsilon Phi, but," he raised his glass towards them in a memory of a toast, "they know how to throw a fucking good party." She giggled and moved her gaze back to Adrian, who had leaned significantly closer towards her than the last time she checked.

"So how come you guys have such bad blood?" He waved his hand in the air in dismissal and took a few more gulps of his drink.

"They think they're better than us jocks. They have no idea how much work we do on that field." She nodded her head to feign her interest and sipped at her drink, maintaining eye contact. "Anyway, enough about those assholes, I wanna know about you Gillian. What brings you here?"

"Oh, a friend brought me but I think they're... uh... occupied." She managed a small smile and he smirked.

"Lucky me." She could tell he was waiting for more, an introduction, at least a summary of her major, but instead her focus was on the most handsome Indiana Jones in the room, as he wrapped his arms around Barbarella's back and welcomed her oncoming kiss. His fingers slipped into her hair as he cradled her head and she decided then that the torture was too much, turning away and meeting Adrian's lips in the middle. 

She threw her arms around his neck, not leaving him enough time to be stunned, and she felt him smile knowingly against her lips as his tongue asked for permission to dip inside of her. He wasn't a bad kisser, nor was he unattractive, and she tightened her grip in his dark long hair, pulling his body closer to hers. David now had his hands around Barbarella's waist and she grabbed Adrian's hands to mimic them, squeezing her eyes shut as she forced her emotions deep inside of her. She parted her thighs as his hands began to wander and play with the hem of her dress. 

"My place isn't too far from here." She could feel his breath against her lips and she swallowed his words with a searing kiss. 

"Take me there."

//

Adrian turned out to be a nice enough guy (if not slightly dim), fairly generous in bed (even if it was only to get something in return), and it didn't hurt that he was an established senior, with lots of money from Mommy and Daddy and a promising career in football. 

In short, he was the antithesis of her perfect man.

She felt him kiss her shoulder as he stirred next to her, and she let a small smile escape, her bare back pressing against his chest. His fingers tickled at her ribs and turned on her back to welcome his exploring hands to her chest. When she closed her eyes she could almost imagine that it was David's long calloused fingers tracing her collarbone from left to right. 

"Good morning beautiful." She smiled despite herself, keeping her eyelids shut even as his lips descended on her neck. He pulled himself on top of her, holding her chin in place as he began to settle himself between her thighs. "Open your eyes." She did as he asked, albeit slightly reluctantly, and her senses were assaulted by the bright sunshine seeping in through his bedroom blinds. He kissed her a few times, heavier than she'd want so early in the morning, and reached across her, boldly searching into his bedside drawer to retrieve another condom. She sighed slightly and relaxed into the bed, stretching her arms above her head like a cat. "I meant to ask you last night."

She quirked an eyebrow up at him as he sat back on his knees, his hands busy rolling the condom down his erection.

"Please don't ask me what my name is." He laughed and leaned down to her, pressing his chest against hers as she spread her legs wider for him. He let a lone finger drift down her forehead and showed her the pad, covered in smudged black eyeshadow.

"Who were you actually dressed as last night?" She rolled her eyes and sighed, grimacing as she was reminded of just how different he was from what she wanted - what she needed. 

"Veronica Sawyers." He stared at her blankly. "You know... from _Heathers_?" His eyebrows knitted in confusion and she huffed out a mirthful laugh as he ignored her bizarre answer and went straight back to the matter at hand, palming her breasts greedily. She wished, not for the first time that morning, that she was in the company of a certain brooding master's student and his incessant verbal foreplay. As his hips aligned with hers, she breathed out silently through her mouth and closed her eyes in resignation. "Yeah... I suppose you wouldn't know..."

// 

The ground felt hard against his feet but it was a pain that he welcomed in the mornings. Most men liked to lick their wounds in private; David liked to do it in full view of the neighbours by running miles and miles until his coach would give him a reprimand for compromising the team's performance for his own reckless rituals. 

She hadn't showed last night.

He hadn't expected her to, but that didn't stop a small side of him from being disappointed when he saw no sign of his defiant little freshman at the party. He mentally chastised himself for being so careless with his emotions so quickly, to let a girl he had barely met twice set the pace for his daily self deprecating morning run. He pushed the air out of his lungs as he raced harder, pushing his limits to the very end, testing his body's ability to silence his mind. He knew it wasn't her scene to drink punch out of red plastic cups and dance to bubblegum pop with try-too-hard strangers, but he couldn't help but hope that his presence there alone was enough to sway her. 

He'd picked his costume out meticulously, and he remembered being so nervous the night before, he had stood in front of his mirror for 5 minutes, buttoning and unbuttoning his shirt endlessly to find the right look. He didn't want to seem cocky, but he didn't want to seem like he was taking himself too seriously either. Most of all, he wanted to make sure Gillian's eyes wouldn't leave his chest when she saw him.

Sadly, he never got to find out how many undone buttons it would take to pique Gillian Anderson's intense curiosity.

He couldn't tell what had exactly piqued _his_ interest over her, but he knew now that he wanted to learn everything about her. Every flaw, every memory, every curve. She seemed hard to read and mysterious which made her all the more compelling to follow. 

He pushed round a street corner faster than he expected and stumbled slightly, losing his footing. He managed to save himself from falling, albeit with less grace than he would have liked, and he skidded to a halt. He swiped the sweat from his brow as he double in half, putting his hands on his knees as he fought for breath as his exhaustion washed over him. 

He grimaced a few times, his legs screaming with pain, when he heard a front door open down the street and voices fill the crisp morning air. He ducked slightly behind a bush as he recovered. He didn't know many people who lived on this street, but the last thing he needed was the entire football team seeing him folded over in pain. He peeked out from his vantage point to search for the source of the noise and his heart dropped into his stomach. 

She was dressed fairly casually in a skirt and a t-shirt, and she was standing on the porch of Alpha Tau Omega, her hands rubbing up and down her arms as she shivered. He tried to convince himself that it wasn't her, that it could be anyone, but as he heard her laugh float through the distance between them, he became painfully aware that it couldn't be anybody _but_ her.

A low growl emitted from his throat as he watched strong, tattooed arms, reach out from the door towards her and slipped an oversize men's jacket around her cold shoulders. He could see her full smile even from his position, and he stared at her, even as she pulled the man out of the doorway and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a quick, but deep, kiss. He blinked away the scene from his vision and retreated back behind the bush, his sweat dripping into his eyes and making them water. He heard the door close distantly and decided that he didn't want to bump into her here, covered in sweat and bright red. 

Somehow, despite his earlier injury, his feet hit down on the concrete even harder on his way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! Sorry for the slight wait, but I am trying to get better at updating! X


	4. III

He spotted her outside in The Quad, and it only took a few moments deliberation before he decided to trace her footsteps and follow her into the library. It seemed, like him, she had no real schedule of her free time, and travelled to the library when and if she needed it, although that hadn't stopped him hanging around there at 11am on a Tuesday, hoping for a glimpse of her. He could see from behind the library doors she was sitting in the corner furthest from him, rummaging around in her backpack to retrieve books and pens, and he swung them open quietly, moving around the bookshelves to stay hidden.

Her eyes met his as he was about to approach her table, and he stopped in his tracks, wondering whether he was welcome. Her expression was unreadable, and he felt his heart sink as he wasn't greeted by a small smile like he usually was. She looked back to her notebook, her eyebrows raised, and she lifted her glasses up into her hair, picking up her backpack from the free seat beside her and giving him an awkward glance. He spurred into action and walked around the table, dropping his bag on the floor and leaning his elbows on the table. He didn't even bother with the pretence of getting out books.

"Have you come to distract me?" She mimicked his words back to him and he winced, noticing how she still hasn't met his eyes as he sat next to her. Her eyes were still fixed on the book before her but her glasses were nestled sweetly in her hair, so he knew she wasn't reading. He reached out tentatively and placed a gentle palm on her forearm.

"Hey..." She turned to him and gave him a muted, almost pitiful smile, and he regretted opening his mouth. "How are you?" Her eyes drifted over his features as he spoke and she swallowed hard.

"I'm okay. Work is getting a bit harder now, but I'm managing." He nodded, averting his gaze to the open notebook by the side of her. "And you?"

"Good, yeah. I'm starting to feel the pressure. I've got some deadlines coming up." She nodded her understanding and dropped her chin, finally looking away from him. "But, I see your doodles are improving!" She laughed and looked towards him again, smiling brightly. 

"I'm getting a lot of practise." She raised her eyebrow at him in a smirk, and he laughed back, revelling in the new easiness in their conversation. She relaxed her posture and turned to him, her gaze settling on his eyes, and they watched each other in companionable silence.

"I... uh, didn't see you at the party on Halloween." As quickly as their carefreeness came, it swiftly left, and he watched as her back tensed up, and a wall was erected behind her eyes. She looked forward at the far wall and rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. "Did you have other plans?"

"I went." The silence between them was palpable after her quiet admission.

"You did?" She nodded and he felt a warm smile spread across his lips, even if it was bittersweet. "I didn't... I was looking... Why didn't you come over?"

"You were pretty occupied." He looked at her blankly for a few seconds before the cogs turning in his head fit into place. _Harriet? Hannah? Helen?_ He felt like an asshole for not remembering, but to be fair, there was only one woman's name on his mind that night. He sat back in embarrassment as he understood what she must have seen, and how she would have felt. 

"You should have come over," he managed weakly, knowing full well that he _shouldn't_ have been kissing Harriet, or Hannah, or whatever. She scoffed at him and moved to place her glasses back of the bridge of her nose. He reached out for her hand and he placed his palm into hers, gripping tightly. "I wanted you there. I wanted to see you." 

"You had a funny way of showing it." Her hand was not gripping his, but he noted with subtle triumph that she wasn't pulling away either. He leaned into her personal space and kept her hand in his, bringing it to his lap where he could rub his thumb across the lines on her palm. 

"I know, I'm sorry." Their conversation had been reduced to whispers and he blamed their faces being inches away from each other on that. "I'm glad I got to see you today. I've missed seeing you... talking to you." He felt her fingers begin to dance around his skin and he intertwined them with his own. 

"I've missed you too." He leaned back, suddenly remembering that they were not alone, but he squeezed her hand tightly and gave her a smile that left no doubt in her mind that he didn't want to pull away. He kept her hand in his lap, his thumb brushing against hers, as he watched her silently move her glasses back to her face and begin her studying. He did the same, delving into his bag with a smile on his face as he brought out books, hands still linked.

Her fingers would occasionally twitch against his as he held them against his thigh and he'd squeeze them in response, comfortable enough to sit in silence next to her and study, although the urge to distract her was overwhelming. He'd read the same sentence four times when he resigned to the fact that when he was in close quarters with her, he couldn't focus on anything else. He realised with a grin that this made her one of those _'bad ideas'_ his coach had warned him about. 

He spread his knees a little wider until one bumped into hers, and he smiled as he felt her push back against him, knocking his leg out the way. He saw a small smirk creep up on her lips and he returned the favour, this time pushing her with his shoulder as well. 

"Quit it, Duchovny." She stifled a giggle and unwound her fingers from his, using her hands to push against his chest, but he caught her wrists quickly and yanked her towards him. They were both getting disapproving looks from fellow students now, but her eyes were only on him as he let his thumbs drift across her soft skin as he held her wrists against his chest. "I'm still mad at you." He nodded his understanding and brought one of her hands to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. She smiled at the gesture, even as she was beginning to ground herself to reality. "We need to talk."

"I've got a basketball game tonight. Nothing fancy, just A team versus B, but it'd be nice to see you in the crowd." 

"You sure you'd spot me?" She meant it as a joke but he could hear the undying current of worry behind it.

"You'll be easy to spot in an audience of one, kiddo." She giggled and moved her hand down and out his grasp until it lightly lay on his thigh. It wasn't high up, in fact it was near his knee, but it was enough for his breath to catch in his throat. 

She glanced up as the library doors swung open and immediately jerked her hand from his lap into her own, her back straightening as she leaned away from him. He followed her gaze to see Adrian Spencer walking towards him, his expression slightly pinched, but it didn't look as if he'd noticed anything awry. 

"What's he doing here Gillian?" He turned to her quietly and she looked at him regretfully.

"I was supposed to be meeting him here. You're kinda sitting in his seat." He sat stunned as Adrian walked behind the table and gathered her into his arms, tipping her chin back casually to offer her mouth to him for a generous kiss. David's cheeks burned with jealousy at the display and he snapped his gaze down to his book. The action wasn't unnoticed by Adrian, and he put a possessive hand around Gillian's waist, pulling her into his chest as he stood next to her.

"Babe, I told you to save me a seat." He was speaking loud enough for David to hear, and the anger rose inside of him. 

"David was just leaving." He scrunched his eyes up at the sound of her honey sweet voice saying something so awful and he looked over at her, her eyes pleading with him to go quietly. He supposed he deserved it, but the humiliation and disregard still stung. He nodded his head and gathered his things, the fury boiling over inside of him. As he swung his bag over his shoulder he gave Gillian one last look. 

"So, I'll see you at the game later?" She opened her mouth and then closed it again, her eyes shooting daggers at his audacity to bring it up at all, but was saved from a response by the man standing next to her.

"Sorry bro but, I was planning a romantic night in with my girl tonight. Maybe we'll both go to the next game though, I could do with a good laugh." Gillian and David both knew that no such plans had existed, but the message was clear: Gillian Anderson was out of bounds, which of course, made him want her more. He realised when Adrian stepped closer to him, tensing his arm muscles, that he'd yet to move from his seat. "You got a problem with that, Bball?" 

"No, no problem at all." He stood out the way and motioned with his hands to the empty seat. He bit back a shallow response when he saw Gillian. Eyes wet with unshed tears and knuckles white as she grabbed onto the end of a table. "Have a nice night Gillian." She dared to glance up at him quickly, and he gave her what he hoped was a warm smile. She watched as his back retreated from her out the library, and she took a deep breath to control herself as Adrian slipped in the seat beside her.

"Was he bothering you?" His hand grabbed hers in a shadow of how David's had, but his grip was too constricting so she shook it away, giving him a kiss on the cheek as consolation. 

"No, don't worry." She looked back to her book and he thought it best to leave it at that but regardless, he pushed her further.

"Is he a friend?" She glanced at her watch as she picked up a pencil and began to scribble notes in the margins, just like David had taught her. She looked over at Adrian as he waited for her response and smiled.

"No."

// 

He pulled his jeans up his legs and accepted a clap on the back from a passing teammate. He waggled his eyebrows at his friend standing next to him and chuckled.

"Okay, Duke, I'll admit it. You played well today." He crossed his arms against his chest and huffed out a laugh. "Also, learn to tie your laces properly." He nodded to his foot which was now resting on the bench between the lockers, and the precarious bow that was tied on the side of the shoe.

"You're always looking out for me, aren't you LoCo?"

"Hurry up dude." He finished the other shoe and straightened his leg out, reaching into his open locker to retrieve his belt. "Have you got someone waiting for you?" David's eyebrows furrowed as he fed his belt through the loops in his jeans.

"No." His friend nodded in the direction of the entrance to the now empty locker room and gave David a knowing look. 

She was standing tentatively by the door, her eyes fixed on his bare chest, and she blushed as he caught her red handed. Apparently, shirtless was the way to go if you wanted her undivided attention. "Gillian! Hey!" He gave his friend a warning glance before jogging over to her, buckling his belt as he moved.

"Hey." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her cheeks still flushed pink. "I didn't know if I'd catch you." 

"Did the romantic plans with the boyfriend fall through?" She decided to ignore that remark and instead folded her arm around her chest defensively.

"Are you free to talk?" She glanced nervously over at his friend who was watching the interaction from his locker, and David followed her gaze. He seemed to get the message and banged his locker door shut. 

"I'll see you at the house?" David nodded and his friend smirked, picking up his bag and walking to the exit. "I'm taking the car though." David fished through his pockets until he brought out his car keys and tossed them to his friend. "Thanks." The door closed with a soft click at his departure and then all hell broke loose in the quiet changing rooms.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" She stalked away from him slightly, creating some distance from herself and his topless body. She couldn't tell whether she wanted to punch his toned chest or kiss it, and the closer she was to it, the closer she was to doing either of them. "You sat there in that library telling me that you were sorry, that you missed me, and then as soon as Adrian came along you turned into a massive asshole again!"

"Massive assho-" He scoffed and covered his eyes with the palm of his hand. "Me? The massive asshole? Gillian you're the one who sent me away, you're the one who let that dick walk all over you." His shouts were echoing off the walls and he was sure the temperature in the room had risen a few degrees.

"That doesn't mean you can sit there and get into some kind of verbal pissing contest with my boyfriend!" 

"He had his hands all over you. I hope you gave him this lecture too. Does he kiss you like that every time he sees you in the library?" His voice was dripping with sweet sarcasm and it made her feel nauseous.

"Oh, so it's alright if I have to watch you make out with someone, but as soon as I do it, it becomes a problem?" He sucked in a harsh breath and lowered his eyes in shame. Her arms were beginning to shake as the adrenaline wore off and she shivered as she leaned against the end of a row of lockers.

"He's not good enough for you." She huffed out a laugh and turned to him, arms still folded against her chest.

"What, and you are?" He closed the distance between them slightly, walking to the opposite locker. "Don't start that shit with me Duchovny."

"I'm not starting any shit." His voice was lower but still held the same intensity as before. "I'm telling you the truth."

"The truth as you see it." He held up his hand and started walking towards her, slowly shaking his head. "I know you don't like him, but he's not that bad."

"He's a jerk." He walked closer towards her until there wasn't much space left between their bodies, his tall frame towering over her small one.

"He said the same thing about you." She lifted her chin up higher in defiance, unafraid of backing down. "We're not going to agree on this." She gave his naked chest an awkward glance before she slipped out of his way and walked towards the exit. "You've hurt my feelings and I've obviously hurt yours."

"Well then let's call it a truce?" She spun on her heel when she felt his soft hand enclose around her wrist.

"A truce?! David, that's not how friendships work." She tried to pull her hand away but he held onto it firmly.

"Okay. Let's sit down and work through it instead." She could feel his hand beginning to tug her towards him but she resisted, quickly twisting her wrist until it fell out of his grasp.

"What, and listen to you lecture me on my boyfriend? I don't need you feeling sorry for me. I don't need you to protect me, or make decisions for me. I know what is best for me. I like Adrian, he makes me happy." 

"I didn't get that impression earlier." Her hand burned from when he had held it, from the few short moments it had lightly brushed against his thigh. "How did you expect me to act after the display you put on? I didn't-," he took a deep breath to calm himself, "I didn't even realise he was your boyfriend. That hurt Gillian." 

She hung her head in shame and played with the fraying sleeve of her jacket, avoiding his eyes. He took one cautionary step forwards, and when she didn't flinch away, he took another, until he was standing next to her again, his arms dangling at his sides, wanting to hold her.

"I'm sorry." He curled his finger under her chin and lifted it so that her eyes met his. "I didn't want things to become so complicated between us."

"It's not impossible to fix, kiddo." His finger moved from her chin, to her cheek, and he cradled her head in his hands as she willingly moved against his chest, her head resting on his heartbeat. She held her breath as her cheek came in contact with his slightly damp skin. He smelled clean from his shower and she wanted to bottle his scent and make it into a perfume.

"What would you suggest?" He stroked her hair and back as he cuddled her, ignoring how good it felt to have her lips pressed lightly against his bare skin. He placed his hands on both of her cheeks and dipped down slightly so that their foreheads were touching.

"Leave him," he whispered. Her back tensed and he could sense she was desperately working out whether she should fight or take flight, so he kept his voice low and his fingers light as they played with her hair. "Don't say anything right now, just promise you'll think about it, and get back to me. Let us start from the top again, with no interruptions."

He thought it was a fairly diplomatic request even though his mind was screaming at him to lean down and kiss her. She nodded in his palms, and he took the moment to give her jawline one long last caress before he relinquished his hold on her. 

"I'll think about it." Her voice was stronger, but he could tell she still had many reservations as she backed away from him. "And then we can talk."

"Didn't we just talk now?" She smirked up at him and began to walk to the exit.

"I'm still mad at you, Double D." 

"And I'm still mad at you, kiddo. But give it some time." She gave him one last smile and a nod before leaving the changing room and he let the air leave his lungs in a harsh breath. He walked back to his locker, grabbing his t-shirt and skimming it over chest, and ran a hand through his damp, freshly washed hair. 

"Oh and by the way, Duchovny." He slammed his locker shut in surprise as he heard her unexpected voice once again echo through the tiled room. She appeared around the corner and flashed him a winning smile, her voice sickly sweet. "Your fly's undone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! X


	5. IV

She leaned forward from her relaxed position on the sofa as she gracefully accepted the joint being passed to her. She was already feeling pretty buzzed, the perky pop music fading dully into the background, and she breathed in deep as she sucked in her toke, feeling the slight rush move through her head. It definitely wasn't the first time she'd been high, nor would it be the last - Greg had made sure of that. She hoped this wouldn't be the start of another slippery slope.

Adrian was perched on the arm of the sofa, his hand resting on the back cushion behind her possessively. He was chatting inanely about something to his friends, and she guessed it would probably be football, based on the fact that he usually talks about nothing else. She took another drag of the joint before she passed it on and began to zone out and fall into herself. 

She'd done a lot of thinking about what David had said in the men's locker room, and she knew in her heart, that she had to leave Adrian. He was a good distraction, but as she sat there watching his hands animatedly move as he discussed the finer points of his Thursday game tackle, she realised she had nothing in common with him, nothing to cement their bond as anything other than sexual. She knew this earlier of course, but something had always gotten in the way: games, exams, social parties. It seemed easier to fade into the background than face reality and cause undue stress for both of them around a tenuous few weeks. Thanksgiving had come and gone, and with Christmas soon arriving, it made no sense to tie herself to a man whose company she couldn't stand on the best of days. 

The knowledge that, in the sidelines, David was waiting for her, only made her decision easier.

Adrian tapped her on the shoulder and she hoped he wouldn't ask her for an opinion on what he'd been talking about because she hadn't heard a word.

"Want a drink?" She nodded her approval, and he leant over to give her a deep kiss, making her blush in front of his bulky teammates. Cheers and wolf whistles began to overpower the music and Adrian finally pulled away, leaving a disgruntled Gillian to quietly seethe over being presented like some trophy to his friends. A friend slapped him on the back and raised his eyebrows at him as Adrian smirked back. She tucked her chin to her chest as she felt eyes on her, and quickly grabbed the joint, taking a drag. The conversation went on without her as she passed it back, and she watched, disassociated with reality, as Adrian passed her a red cup.

"Drink up. Tonight's going to be fun."

//

"LoCo!" Corey Lorenzo turned slightly from his position against the wall towards the sound of his name being called, and smiled gratefully as a friend passed him a bottle. "Lighten the fuck up man, this is a party and you're just staring into space." Corey shook his head and chuckled slightly, taking a gulp of his beer. 

"Shush Bunny, I'm watching." His friend came closer until their drinks accidentally clinked, and he struggled to follow his line of sight.

"Hot babe?" 

"Wouldn't matter to me if she was." Corey crossed his arms against his chest and his grip on the bottle he was holding tightened until his knuckles turned white. "The one on the sofa." He tipped the neck of his bottle towards the opposite side of the room, and Bunny moved forward a bit, his eyes squinting behind his tinted sunglasses as he tried to make out the figure sprawled on the couch.

"She's a little... petite? Nice ass though." Corey lashed out his hand and caught Bunny on his arm with a hard whack.

"I'm not checking her out you fucking dweeb. I think she has a thing going on with Duke." They stood there for a quiet moment, watching the way she smiled up at a football player as he playfully stroked his fingers through her hair. 

"Bit of a slut, isn't she?" Corey delivered another blow, except this time to Bunny's head, and he rubbed the offending spot with his palm. "Ow, what the fuck LoCo? Quit beating me up!"

"Take off your fucking sunglasses and open your fucking eyes Bunny." He did as he was told, and slipped his sunglasses into the neck of his t-shirt. "I think she really likes Duke..." Bunny watched as another footballer came and sat beside her, and she offered this one an even greater smile, shakily accepting the drink passed to her, seemingly non-plussed by the stranger's hand resting on her knee.

"You suspecting foul play?" They both watched as a jock used the pad of his finger to gently tilt up the bottom of her red cup, encouraging her to drink more. 

"It wouldn't be the first time." She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and lolled her head back on the sofa, her smile lazy.

"How well do you know this chick?" Bunny's posture now mimicked Corey's, and the rim of his red cup crumpled under the pressure of his clenched fist. 

"Not well at all. I can't just go over, I mean that guy might be her boyfriend." He tapped his foot against the ground angrily in an effort to stop pacing as out of nowhere a joint was presented and handed to the girl who could barely keep her eyes open. His jaw clenched as he watched someone's fingers drift down her cheek and cup her chin. "Fuck this shit Bunny. You keep watch, I'll be right back." 

//

David had never accomplished so much in the space of eight minutes and forty three seconds. He knew from his experience on court that time was everything, and every second counted, so he forego tying his shoelaces and instead ran to his car with loose sneakers falling off his feet. Every second that ticked by on his watch felt like an eternity. Ten seconds on the court could mean the difference between winning and losing, and he knew it was no different this time round.

He banged his fist against the steering wheel as he came to the second red light in a row, and he cursed his luck, his fingers itching to hold Gillian in his arms, to feel her steady pulse under his fingertips, to press her fully to his chest. He'd been studying when the first call came through, pen poised in his hand as his tongue jutted out between his lips as he concentrated. He let it ring out, but after the second call came through he begrudgingly removed himself from his desk and answered it.

Now he swore to never leave the phone unanswered again, as the seconds ticked by on his watch, and the red light before him carried on shining. There were only a few words exchanged on the phone, but the tone of Corey's voice had told him enough. The light turned green and he threw the car into drive, speeding off around the corner so quickly it made the cars waiting on the right side blare their horn. 

His fingers gripped the steering wheel until they began to shake, and he had to stop himself from pushing the gas pedal to the floor as he sped through the residential areas. He heard the party before he saw it; it was the first one since everyone had returned from Thanksgiving weekend and the music was booming, the sound of people mingling carrying as far as the neighbouring streets. 

He haphazardly parked the car up the curb in front of the house and a few students stared at him as he lurched out his door and ran into the building. He spotted Corey leaned against the bannister, and immediately he jumped up and began walking through the thick crowds. 

"I didn't know whether to bother you." David held his hand up to silence his friend and shook his head. 

"No, I'm glad you told me. Is she okay?" Corey shook his head from side to side as he manoeuvred himself around a couple pressed up against a wall, their lips locked and eyes closed. 

"I'm not sure. Bunny's watching over her but we didn't want to do anything without you." David nodded a few times and anxiously chewed his bottom lip, his fingers flexing in the air. "They're all over her, Duke." He gritted his teeth as they entered the living room, and he immediately saw Bunny, his arms crossed and his gaze steely as he was faced towards the opposite side of the room. 

The air felt like it had been knocked out of him when he finally found her in the dark, sleepy and sated, arms stretched out leisurely against the sofa as boys surrounded her to leer. He could see her lips moving but they were slow, and when she smiled, her eyelids drooped until they were almost shut. His gaze skimmed down her body until it reached her legs, where he saw two hands belonging to two different men brushing up her thighs underneath the loose skirt of her dress. Corey placed a soothing hand on his shoulder just as his own balled into fists.

"C'mon Duke, we've got to be rational about this." 

" _Fuck rational_." The words spat out of his mouth like venom and within seconds he'd barged over to the small football group, his nostrils flaring with anger. Adrian noticed him first and swiftly removed his hand from Gillian's thigh to walk over, but it only left a new space for a different footballer to stroke her. 

"Hey Bball! Come to join in the fun?" Adrian was a few inches smaller than David, so he stood no real chance as David threw a hard right hook directly into his face. The pain surged through his fingers as his fist collided with Adrian's cheekbone but it only spurred him on faster, and he delivered a hard blow to his stomach, leaving him doubled over in pain. "Fuck you!" A fist came out of nowhere and slammed into David's chest, knocking the wind out of him, but he carried on regardless, his fists flying towards every available piece of enemy skin. A broader student lunged for him but he managed to duck, his reflexes quicker, and instead the footballer's chest collided with Corey's hard fist. Bunny stepped in and managed to grab a teen by the collar and haul him off the sofa, kneeing him in the groin, and within seconds, people had gathered round the spectacle in a circle, some cheering, others watching in rapt silence.

David managed to squeeze past an especially burly footballer, and then he was touching her, a gentle hand on her thigh. Her eyelids fluttered as he made a grab for her waist, and she protested slightly as he began to scoot her to the end of the sofa, placing a weak hand on his chest as if to push him away.

"David...?"

"It's me. Let's get you out of here, kiddo." He took a cursory glance around him and saw Bunny place a well targeted kick to Adrian's chest as he lay on the ground, effectively killing off the opposition. A few had run off, others clutched their bashed limbs in pain and groaned. The crowd had began to murmur, and he knew it wouldn't be too long before one of them called the police, so without a word he scooped up Gillian into his arms, and within five strides, had pushed through the crowd and out of the room, with Corey and Bunny hot on his heels.

"Puh... put me... d-down." He heard someone behind him murmur that they were witnessing a kidnapping, and he bent his head down to kiss her forehead, making her furrowed brow relax slightly.

"Can you walk?" Her reply was non-verbal, and meant neither yes or no, so he tightened his hold on her and stepped out of the house, the cool winter air hitting his bare arms and making him shiver. The adrenaline had worn off now, but he knew they needed to get out of that area, and fast. 

"Wha...? Where... we goin'?" 

"Somewhere safe." Her eyelids drooped again and he contemplated taking her to the hospital, but a quick estimation of the costs ruled that option out completely. "You're safe with me Gillian. I'm not going to hurt you." His chest began to burn as he carried her down the path and he panted through his mouth, hiding his pain.

"Adrian... my b-frien, he wouldn't hurt... me..." She yawned, and he winced, taking the opportunity to cuddle her closer to him even if it meant her belt was digging uncomfortably into the bruise that was most likely forming on his abdomen. She grew quiet as they reached the car, but her eyes were still slightly open, her breaths regular and deep. "Mmm... David..." He sat her down on the car bonnet as he fished through his pockets for his keys, keeping one hand around her back to steady her. "Hm Sssick." 

He quickly jumped backwards and pushed her forward, controlling her movements, until he was cradling her back against his chest, kneeling on the ground as she retched near the front wheel of his car. His fingers on his right hand moved up to her hair, and he pulled it out of the way of her face, holding her as she heaved up every last drop of alcohol, stroking her back and murmuring sweet words of encouragement into her ear. 

"Can either of you drive?" He looked up at Corey and Bunny who were now standing beside them both, looking down with a mixture of worry and disgust, and they both shook their heads. David looked over the bonnet to the open door of the party house and saw an angry, injured Adrian Spencer stumble onto the garden. "Fuck, we gotta go." He addressed Gillian now, handing her a tissue he found loose in his pocket. "Gillian you're gonna sit in the back with Corey. You're going to be okay, alright?" She nodded briefly and sniffled, still too weak to sit up on her own, and Corey quickly moved around them to put his hands under her shoulders and lift her into his arms, taking her to the backseat. 

She sat with her head resting on his chest, her legs curled up underneath her, and her jaw slack and eyes closed as David put the car in drive and moved off the curb, just as Adrian managed to limp over to the pavement. Bunny gave him a middle finger as they drove off, and David watched him feebly attempt to follow the car on foot, walking in the middle of the road with his hands outstretched for balance. 

"Gillian?" He looked in the rear view mirror at Gillian and bit his bottom lip with worry. " _Gillian?_ " She grunted in affirmation at hearing her voice and he let go of the breath he had been holding. "If you feel like you're going to be sick, just tell Corey and we'll stop the car for you, okay?" She nodded against Corey's chest and he brought a palm to the back of her neck to hold her still. 

"Where does she live?" Corey had rolled his window down to create a current of fresh air drift through the car, and David watched as Gillian's hair ruffled slightly in the breeze, his fingers itching to smooth it back into place. 

"She's over in the halls of residence." Bunny smashed his fist down on the glove box hard enough for the compartment to spring open and tapes spill out onto the car floor.

"Shit sorry," he mumbled as he bent over to pick up his mess. "We'll never be able to sneak her in there past the RA." The soft sound of snores carried through e car as Gillian finally succumbed to sleep, and David let a small smile grace his lips at how peaceful she looked in slumber.

"I wasn't planning to. She's coming back with us." The car stayed silent for a few moments, neither Corey or Bunny willing to suggest anything different, and as Gillian slightly shifted in Corey's lap, he found himself smiling down at the crown of her head. 

"It's the best option, Duke. We can look after her if she's with us." Bunny nodded his understanding and turned to look out the window, cradling his bruised and bloodied fist in his lap. The radio was on low, but the sound of the crisp night air rushing in through Corey's open window drowned out nearly all traces of Led Zeppelin's _Stairway to Heaven_. "Coach is going to kick our fucking asses." 

"He's right D. Fighting with the football team isn't going to help our reputation. We could get kicked off the team." Bunny sighed and looked back at the petite girl leant against Corey and back to his red knuckles, wondering if any of it was at all worth it, but judging by the fact that David couldn't keep his eyes off the rear view mirror, he certainly thought it was.

"They won't snitch. They know as soon as they tell anyone about the fight, we'll tell the coach about her. They'll be expelled, whereas we'll be painted as knights in shining armour. Regardless, I won't let either of you get kicked off because of me." They fell back into silence as they pulled up the curb outside their student house, and quicker than lightening, David unbuckled his seat belt and was crouching next to Corey's open door, carefully peeling Gillian away from him until she was sleeping safely in his arms. "Lock up the car, would ya? I'm taking her inside." 

She murmured slightly as he pulled her closer to his chest, and her eyes slowly widened until she was staring up at him, her fingers lightly flexing against his t-shirt.

"Hey..." He turned on his side to walk her through the front door, and she hummed slightly, curling herself further into it, and he jostled her in his arms to bring her higher up, one of her hands automatically weaving itself around his shoulders. "You can sleep soon." He felt her nod against his chest even as her eyes drooped closed once more, and David kicked off his loose shoes in the hallway, careful not to drop her. "Let's get you cleaned up first, hm?" 

She shivered as he placed her on the toilet seat and began to rifle through the medicine cabinet above her, with one hand still on her shoulder holding her upright. He picked out a packet of Advil and placed it in her hands, manually curling her fingers around the cardboard box. 

"Hold those for me please." She grunted and squeezed the packet slightly even as her head began to droop downwards against his forearm. "C'mon Gillian..." he bent down in front of her next to her legs, and cupped her chin in his palm, softly stroking her skin until her eyes moved to meet his. "I need you to stay awake for me okay? Just for a few more minutes." Her eyes searched his face for a few moments until they focused on his lips, and he watched the way the pupils dilated and her tongue came out to lazily wet her lips. She leaned forward slightly and her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks as her lips parted and she moved towards his. 

He realised her intentions with a soft gasp, and slowly tilted his chin upwards, holding the back of her neck as he delivered a sweet kiss to her forehead, smoothing away the creases there. She let out a small sigh and he felt her grimace against his lips and he moved to press his cheek against her forehead. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as his breath whispered against her skin, and she pursed her lips, still being held still by his firm hand. He pulled back and gave her a small smile, letting his finger drift against her jaw. His fingers moved from her baby soft skin to thread through her hair and he chuckled slightly, smoothing the separate strands down.

"I just watched you throw up against my car." Much to his surprise, she giggled, a girlish laugh that he hadn't heard from her yet, and smiled back at him goofily. "And you're drunk." She ducked her chin to her chest, ashamed, but he hooked his finger under her jawline and lifted her head to meet his eyes. He placed a sure kiss on the bridge of her nose and pulled back, their faces only an inch apart. "Next time," he whispered, and watched as her cheeks turned crimson. 

He reached across from her and grabbed some toilet paper, dampening it under the sink, and began to swipe it against her cheeks, removing the light smattering of makeup that was begin to drop down her skin. She closed her eyes and he carefully wiped away the eyeliner and mascara, his hand on her chin tilting her head slightly to make his movements easier.

"How much did you have to drink tonight?" She groaned and the packet of pills dropped to the floor. Her frown deepened and she unsteadily reached forward to pick it back up. "Don't worry about that, just try and remember what you had. What did you take? What drugs?" She moved her shaky hands up to her head and tried to take the wadded up piece of toilet roll from his hands but he batted them away, insistent on uncovering every inch of her skin, freckle by freckle. "C'mon sweetie, what were you drinking? Beer? Shorts?" 

"Wan sssleep..." He dragged the paper against her lips and removed her dark lipstick, which was already smudged down her chin, and chuckled lightly.

"You can in a little while." He stood up from his position on the floor and massaged his knees, keeping a close eye on Gillian as he reached for a spare toothbrush and toothpaste. "Brush your teeth." He handed her the brush and she placed it sloppily in her mouth, slowly moving it around her teeth. "I'll be right back okay?" He bent down and placed a kiss on her temple as she nodded, and also swiped the Advil from the floor, jogging to the kitchen. 

When he came back, glass of water in hand, she was resting her elbows on her knees, her palm holding her chin as she dozed, toothbrush still limply hanging out of her mouth. He shook his head from side to side and stood in front of her, taking the brush from her lips.

"Spit." He guided her head towards the sink and she lazily spat into it, still sitting on the toilet, and she rested her forehead against the cool ceramic. "Swill." He held the the glass out to her and she accepted it into her weak grasp, his hands hovering nearby to catch it if it fell. Her eyes were closed now, and he knew that soon her cooperation would be minimal. She spat the water out into the sink and panted, exhausted. "Swallow." He held out two Advil towards her, and she picked them up from his open palm, placing them on her tongue, and he helped her take a gulp of the water. She lolled her head back as she swallowed the pills and he knew that her usefulness had expired. "C'mon now."

He moved her hands around his neck and held onto her waist, lifting her up against his chest until her head was resting on his shoulder. He walked with her dead weight in his arms, as if she were a child, until he reached his bedroom, and he carefully placed her in the middle of his bed, smoothing her hair back into place on the pillow. Her lips parted naturally, and he longed to bend down and brush his against them, but thought against it. She didn't stir as he unlaced her Doc Martens and slipped them off her sock clad feet. He peeled them off too, and looked at her dress, mentally debating where the line was in situations like these. He decided that the belt had to go regardless, and bent over to deftly undo it, and pull it from underneath her body. He dropped it to the floor, next to her shoes and socks, and dragged the covers over her sleeping form, tucking her in tight. 

He indulged himself for a few moments, watching her chest rise and fall with every breath, and he lightly pressed his hand to her chest, truly proving to himself that she was there, she was with him, and she was safe. His stomach twisted into knots of worry as he thought about her lying there, peaceful in sleep, but something malicious inside of her, eating away at her. He chewed on his nail as he contemplated bundling her back into the car and driving her to the hospital, but quickly talked himself out of it, committed to checking in on her every few hours even if it meant a sleepless night. He placed the water on the bedside table and turned on the lamp next to it, just in case she were to wake up without him. With one last glance, he left his bedroom, and wiped his hand across his face, groaning. 

Corey was waiting for him in the living room, a mug of steaming coffee sitting on the coffee table next to the sofa which was piled high with blankets. 

"I figured you'd be up for a while. And condemned to the sofa." David chuckled and sat next to him as he took a grateful gulp of his hot drink. "Is she okay?"

"She'll feel it in the morning," he mumbled. He took a few more sips of his drink in silence and faced towards the TV that wasn't turned on. "I'll kill him LoCo. If I ever find out he hurt her, I swear to god I will kill him." Corey nodded and got up from his position on the sofa, placing a warming hand on David's shoulder as he slumped forward.

"You did the right thing Duke. You did everything you could do. I just hope she's worth it." David took another gulp of his drink and placed it down on a magazine that was left on the coffee table. 

"I think she is." Corey nodded even though David was no longer facing him.

"Try and get some sleep, dude, I'll cover for you at practice in the morning." David mumbled his thanks and stared down into his coffee cup, resigning himself to an exceptionally long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Sorry for this update taking so long, I've had a really hectic life lately. Thanks so much for everyone's support over the last few weeks - you know who you are! 
> 
> Love you all x

**Author's Note:**

> Who would have thought it'd take me this long to write a college AU?!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading!


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